Feature: The Timing Of Xbox’s 25th Anniversary Just Got A Lot More Awkward
By If you haven’t been monitoring the updates, Xbox will be marking its 25th anniversary in 2026. The precise date is November 15th, 2026 – exactly 25 years since the original Xbox was initially launched on November 15th, 2001.
Recently, we’ve been hearing about significant plans for Xbox in 2026 consequently, with Phil Spencer stating that it’s going to be a “truly special year” for the brand during a summer interview.
Nonetheless, Rockstar Games may have momentarily impacted the festivities this week by revealing that GTA 6 is being postponed from May to November of next year. In fact, the updated launch date for arguably the largest game of all time is November 19th, 2026 – merely four days following Xbox’s 25th anniversary celebration.
In certain respects, this might not be a major issue, as Xbox will undoubtedly be gearing up for November 15th and likely hosting a celebratory stream on that very day. We’ve previously speculated how the next Xbox console may be unveiled on November 15th with a 2027 launch, as that appears logical for the anniversary.
But what if they have been planning a significant release for that date instead? We are already aware that Fable, Forza Horizon 6, Gears of War: E-Day and Halo: Campaign Evolved are all set to launch at some point in 2026, and there has again been speculation that one or possibly more of these titles might be preserved for November 15th to commemorate the occasion.
In fact, we contemplated Xbox’s prospective 2026 release timetable just a few days ago here at Pure Xbox:
No matter the situation, the reality remains that GTA 6 is going to eclipse Xbox’s 25th anniversary festivities just a few days after the date has elapsed, which is undeniably unfortunate considering the significance of this milestone.
There’s a strong likelihood that the team at Xbox will now pivot and rearrange some plans to accommodate Rockstar Games’ delay, and we can only hope everything will end up working smoothly. One thing is quite certain though – we likely won’t witness any of Fable, Forza, Gears, or Halo launching in November of next year.
Call of Duty is also going to be intriguing. Black Ops 7 is debuting on November 14th this year, and unless they are incredibly confident about facing off against GTA 6, it’s improbable we’ll see a similar scenario unfold next year. They will probably have to rush an October release (or maybe even sooner), which is likely not ideal for the developers.
Of course, many individuals foresaw that GTA might end up getting postponed until later in the year, so we presume the Xbox team has some sort of Plan B that was established a while ago.
The alternative is simply to disregard it and proceed irrespective of Rockstar Games’ actions, but let’s not underestimate how substantial the next Grand Theft Auto is going to be – nobody wishes to be contending with that title if at all possible.
For the time being, let’s anticipate whatever Xbox has lined up for the 25th anniversary of Xbox, with the festivities likely to continue throughout the year instead of only on November 15th itself, and don’t overlook that we have the 20th anniversary of the Xbox 360 coming up in just two weeks – a console that was first launched on November 22nd, 2005.
One thing is certain – it’s going to be a bustling and incredibly fascinating year for Xbox enthusiasts in 2026!
What are your opinions on this? Feel free to share in the comments section below.